James Cordier

• Selling puts to exploit bullish fundamentals

  By James Cordier  |  May 13, 2009

  The rapid deflation of global commodities prices over the past nine months has left many futures markets consolidating at what many would consider depressed levels. Bailouts, stimulus plans,

• The silver lining in silver’s decline

  By James Cordier  |  December 15, 2008

  While painful for long-term investors, the bear markets in both stocks and commodities, which intensified in the fall of 2008, have produced two market conditions that are extremely favorable to

• Profiting in uncertain times

  By James Cordier  |  September 15, 2008

  Ironically, this opportunity presents itself in the form of the authors being wrong in their projection of market direction. If you read our August columns in crude oil and natural gas (available

• After the fall: Natural gas near bottom

  By James Cordier  |  August 12, 2008

  Midsummer 2008 witnessed a precipitous decline in the price of natural gas that had many wondering if prices ever moved anywhere other than down. But the pace and scope of the sell-off has had the

• Corn strategy

  By James Cordier  |  July 21, 2008

  In early May, we advised selling put options in corn based on the outlook for investor jitters over a delayed spring planting. We outlined the solid fundamentals supporting corn prices and speculated

• Collecting premium, with help from the Fed

  By James Cordier  |  June 16, 2008

  In 1975, the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) introduced interest rate futures to meet a growing demand for products that could protect against fluctuations in the cost of borrowing money. Treasury

• Soybean corrections offer opportunity

  By James Cordier  |  May 13, 2008

  Volatility is the buzzword for sellers of options on any market. Price volatility can create opportunities on both sides of the market and the investor who knows the underlying fundamentals will have

• Bean option opportunity

  By James Cordier  |  April 17, 2008

  Last December we suggested selling soybean puts. We made this suggestion based on the premise that global demand would outpace global supply in 2008 as the undersized U.S. harvest had trimmed global

• Commodities correction could be opportunity for natural gas

  By James Cordier  |  March 20, 2008

  A wave of selling washed over commodities markets this week as long speculators took notice of the Fed’s recognition of inflation. With a rate cut of only 75 basis points, many investors were

• Softs commentary

  By James Cordier  |  March 14, 2008

  CoffeeThe bull market in coffee came to a screeching halt this week as market participants are starting to get a glimpse of the Brazilian coffee crop that is due to begin harvest within the next